What Role Will 8-Bit MCUs Play in the IoT?
News 2/25/2015 3 commentsEight-bit MCUs aren’t nearly dead yet. Silicon Labs just announced at Embedded World a new series of eight-bit MCUs that target a range of cost-, power- and space-sensitive applications in the Internet of Things (IoT).

6 3D-Printable Metals from ExOne
Product News 2/24/2015 Post a commentIndustrial 3D printer supplier ExOne has introduced six new metal powders that can be used with its multi-material M-Flex and recently introduced Innovent machines.

FAA on Drones: Fly But Not That High
News 2/20/2015 2 commentsThe Federal Aviation Administration has released proposed rules for small drones for commercial use, making the first move -- at long last -- to start integrating these pilotless, untethered flying machines into American airspace.

Manufacturing Up Modestly as Industrial Production Rebounds in January
News 2/19/2015 2 commentsUS manufacturing output increased slightly in January, contributing to a 0.2% uptick in the nation’s overall industrial production for the month. The preliminary January industrial production figure represented a modest rebound from a negative December that the Federal Reserve downwardly revised to a 0.3% contraction from an earlier 0.1% estimate.

Video: Reconfigurable Robot Walks on Snake Legs
News 1/19/2015 4 commentsCarnegie Mellon University's modular snake robot can be reconfigured to meet users' needs. Not only will this modular system enable completely new robot designs, say its inventors, it will also help speed up the pace of development and enable more flexible traditional industrial robots.

Manufacturing Expansion Slows Down, Industrial Production Dips in December, Says Fed
News 1/16/2015 2 commentsUS manufacturing output rose 0.3% in December, but warm weather that blanketed the entire country reduced heating demand, significantly dragging down utilities output and the nation’s overall industrial production for the month. The 0.1% decline in December was the first contraction in the nation’s total industrial output since August, the Federal Reserve announced Friday.

Lightweight Metals Research and Innovation Center Opens Today
News 1/15/2015 5 commentsA lightweight metals research consortium formed last year as part of President Barack Obama’s national manufacturing innovation initiatives will open its research facility in Detroit today, marking the official start of a federally supported effort to commercialize new, advanced manufacturing technology in the automotive, military, and aerospace industries.

Data Show a CNC Machinery Purchasing Slowdown, but Outlook Remains Strong
News 1/13/2015 2 commentsUS orders of metalworking capital machinery cooled significantly in the two months following the big International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago, according to the latest available data tracked by that show’s organizer. But the nation’s manufacturing sector is predicted to grow robustly again this year and buoy industrial machinery investment, which will bode well for the machine design industry.

Elastomer Goes With the (Waves') Flow
News 12/17/2014 Post a commentDuPont's Hytrel elastomer long used in automotive applications has been used to improve the way marine mooring lines are connected to things like fish farms, oil & gas installations, buoys, and wave energy devices. The new bellow design of the Dynamic Tethers wave protection system acts like a shock absorber, reducing peak loads as much as 70%.

3D Printing Stars at Euromold Show
News 12/8/2014 3 commentsWhile most Americans were taking time off for the Thanksgiving holiday, 3D printer makers showed off their new systems, services, and materials at Germany's Euromold show.

Orion Takes One Small Step Toward Mars
News 12/5/2014 19 commentsThis morning’s liftoff of NASA’s Orion is the first step in what is expected to be a long and fabled history for the spacecraft. The deep-space craft, launched into orbit on a Delta IV rocket at 7:05 a.m. today, could put astronauts back on the moon in 2020 and take them to Mars by 2030.

YuMi -- a Robot for You and Me
Product News 12/4/2014 Post a commentRobotics company ABB Robotics has unveiled YuMi, a human-friendly dual arm robot that plays well with humans. The machine was designed for small parts assembly, where people and robots work hand-in-hand on the same tasks.

Energy-Harvesting Switches Puts Energy at Your Fingertips
Product News 12/3/2014 7 commentsArveni is offering a smart batteryless switch that operates the radio inside with the touch of a finger. The switch can be used to create an intelligent lighting system in a home or office; the radio itself inside the switch also can be used as a common connection point among different smart objects in the home.

Automotive Image Sensor Sees in the Dark
Product News 12/2/2014 14 commentsA new high-dynamic range image sensor promises to sharpen the night vision of automotive lane departure and collision avoidance systems, and even help set the stage for smarter, self-driving cars.

Digi-Key & Mentor Graphics Collaborate on EDA/CAD Tools
Product News 12/2/2014 1 commentElectronic component distributor Digi-Key and PCB producer Mentor Graphics Corp. have developed a professional-level EDA/CAD tool package. The jointly developed Designer Schematic and Designer Layout tools are available from Digi-Key. The new Mentor Graphics software is part of the company’s recently expanded suite of design tools.

We Want to Send You to Italy
News 11/21/2014 1 commentThe UX Italia video contest recognizes Italian machinery, technology, and other experience solutions that have contributed meaningful improvements to people’s lives and production processes. If you submit a three-minute video showcasing how the quality of Italian machinery's User eXperience is essential to your company's success, you just may win a trip to Italy.

Plastic Leg Grows With Young Amputees
News 11/4/2014 7 commentsErin Keaney, a Ph.D student in plastics engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, tells how graduate students at the school crafted a plastic injection-molded prosthetic leg that costs less than $5 to mass produce and can be adjusted to fit a growing child.

COMSOL Ups the Simulation Ante
Product News 11/4/2014 Post a commentWith Multiphysics 5.0 and the new Application Builder, COMSOL software users can now design specialized applications to provide researchers, designers, and manufacturers with access to the power and accuracy of multiphysics simulation.

Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies. You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived. So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.